A genetic element or hereditary factor located in the cytoplasm rather than in the nucleus of a cell.
Greek 'kytos' (cell) and 'genesis' (origin/generation). Emerged as scientists discovered that inheritance wasn't controlled only by nuclear DNA but also by genetic material in organelles like mitochondria.
For decades, biologists thought all inheritance came from the nucleus, but then they discovered cytoplasmic DNA in mitochondria and chloroplasts. This discovery changed our understanding of heredity and showed that mothers contribute something equally important as fathers—the cytoplasm containing these organelles.
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